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Southwest Alabama Workforce 
Development Council
Region 9 News
 
   Baldwin-Choctaw-Clarke-Conecuh-Escambia-Mobile-Monroe-Washington
August 2014
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SAWDC
Quarterly Council Meeting

Click here to register

Rachel Gragg, Federal Policy Director with the National Skills Coalition will be our special guest and will discuss the recently passed Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

Date:
Wednesday
September 10, 2014
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Location: 
AIDT Alabama 
Aviation Training Center
Mobile, Alabama

  
Region 9
Training Providers

Austal USA is looking for qualified candidates for their structural welder, structural fitter, pipe fitter, and marine electrical training programs. Free day and night classes will be offered. For more information contact: 

Heidi Kearton
Maritime Industry Coordinator
(251) 635-7919 
hkearton@sawdc.org
Austal Logo

Date:
  Wednesday
August 27, 2014
1:00pm to 6:00pm

Location:
Mobile Convention Center
MACC
To register, click here
CGIA
General
Membership
Meeting

August 21, 2014
10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Lunch will be served.

Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Training Center
Pascagoula, MS

For more Information e-mail
Bettsie.norton@thejcgroup.com

SAWDC 
Board of Directors

Chairman
Sam Covert
Alabama Power
 
Vice Chairman
Sandra Koblas
 Austal USA
 
Secretary
Joseph Ng
VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering
 
Treasurer
Lee Lawson
Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance
 
Legal Counsel
David Hannan
Maynard Cooper & Gale
 
Past Chairman
Troy Wayman
Mobile Area
Chamber of Commerce
 
Carolyn Akers
Mobile Area
Education Foundation
 
Owen Bailey
USA Children & Women's
 
Ketrenia Crenshaw
Boise Paper
  
Bob Higgins
Higgins & Associates

John Johnson
Coastal Gateway
 
Tim Johnson
Central Gulf
Industrial Alliance

Loka Mistretta
Cintas Corporation
 
Steve Perry
Community Leader
 
Cheryl Williams
Spherion Staffing
 
Laura Chandler
Executive Director


Gov. Robert Bentley Appoints Members to the New Alabama Workforce Council

                

SAWDC Chair-elect, Sandra Koblas with Austal USA, and SAWDC Council Member, Kelvin Hill with Georgia Pacific, were named by Gov. Robert Bentley to the new Alabama Workforce CouncilThe council, which will serve to advise and support the state Board of Education, two-year colleges and four-year colleges and universities, held its first meeting in July.  Click HERE to read more at www.al.com.    

Maritime Cluster 

Incumbent Worker Training 

  Austal Logo

SAWDC in partnership with AIDT and Austal USA have teamed up again for the implementation of the Maritime Cluster Incumbent Worker Training Technical Assistant Programs (TA Program).  The goals of the program are to provide the necessary foundation to enable incumbent workers to accelerate their development to true A Class tradesmen and to continue the execution of a "hire down, skill up" strategy for the maritime cluster. All candidates are Austal associates, many of whom are graduates of the AIDT Maritime Training Center.  Upon completion of this TA training program, each incumbent worker is guaranteed a pay increase resulting in career advancement opportunities. 

 

To date, 21 individuals have commenced training - 4 remain in training while 17 have successfully completed training and received wage increases as a result.  Over 40 incumbent workers are expected to participate.  This program began in April 2014 and will conclude in September 2014.    

nfws logo

 

Rural Healthcare Cluster - East
Kicks Off CNA Training

The Rural Healthcare Cluster-East, which is made up of employers in Monroe, Escambia, and Conecuh counties, kicked off two Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) programs the week of July 14th with a total of 30 candidates. SAWDC is providing both project coordination and case management services to the employer driven initiative.  Key partners include Reid State Technical College and the Alabama Career Center.  All Candidates are guaranteed employment upon successful completion of the program.  Key RHC employers committed to hiring successful candidates include:

Englewood Healthcare Center 
(Monroeville, AL)
Monroe Manor Health and Rehabilitation Center (Monroeville, AL)
Evergreen Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (Evergreen, AL)
Atmore Nursing Center 
(Atmore, AL)
Westgate Village Nursing Home 
(Brewton, AL)

 

     
    
Monroeville CNA Class
  
Brewton CNA Class

Special recognition to our investors - the Community Foundation of South Alabama, as part of their Economic Opportunity Priority area, and the National Fund for Workforce Solutions. 

 

 

 

 

 

Citronelle High Career Academy Students Get Real World Experience at Outokumpu Stainless Steel 

 

Pictured are Citronelle Students with SAWDC Council Member, Chris Comstock with Outokumpu

 

The Mobile Area Education Foundation in partnership with Outokumpu Stainless Steel sponsored a program that made it possible for 14 Citronelle High School Advanced Manufacturing Career Academy students to work as full-time paid interns at Outokumpu Stainless Steel in Calvert this summer. Students were able to utilize skills they learned during the school year as advanced manufacturing career academy students each day as they assisted full-time staff in various areas.

 

Click HERE to read more on the MAEF Newsletter.

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We would like to extend our gratitude to the 2014 sponsors.  Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to the region's future workforce. 

Platinum
Alabama Power
Georgia Pacific

Gold
Alabama Construction Recruitment Institute
Evonik Corporation
ExxonMobil
Performance Contractors

Silver
Austal USA
Baldwin County Public Schools
BBVA Compass
Bishop State Community College
Faulkner State Community College
Horizon Shipbuilding
Huntington Ingalls
Mobile County Public School System
PNC Bank
Senator Vivian Figures
United Way of Southwest Alabama
Virginia College

Bronze
Gulf States Shipbuilders Consortium
Senator Trip Pittman
VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering
Airbus Americas Engineering, Inc.
Alabama Southern Community College
AM/NS Calvert
Alabama Technology Network
BASF
Boise Paper
Brasfield & Gorrie
Enterprise Community College
G.A. West
Mobile Area Water & Sewer System
Mobile Airport Authority
Mobile Gas
Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC
Outokumpu Stainless USA, LLC
PowerSouth Energy Cooperative
SSAB
Thompson Engineering
UTC Aerospace System

Contributors
Associated General Contractors
BAE Systems
Central Gulf Industrial Alliance
Remington College  
 
SAWDC's Vision is to develop a comprehensive, integrated workforce development system which creates a skilled, diverse, motivated, adaptable workforce that better meets the needs of employers and leads to a better quality of life for our citizens.
  
SAWDC's Mission is to develop strategic partnerships which attract, educate and train students and workers to better meet employer needs and foster economic growth in a global marketplace.
  
For more information on how you can become involved with the efforts of the Southwest Alabama Workforce Development Council and Region 9, please call 251-445-2090.